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Decades-old racial prejudice has come back to UK politics, and it creates very scared, Keir Starmer emphasized, cautioning that divisive hard-right politics was “tearing our country apart”.

Tackling Racist Rhetoric and Harmful Politics

Speaking to doctor and media figure Amir Khan, Starmer pointed to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK of overseeing a return to racist and divisive politics “that frankly I thought we had dealt with years back”.

During the discussion, broadcast on a popular morning program on Tuesday, Starmer also gave his strongest signal that the two-child benefit cap might be scrapped in the budget later this month.

Promise to Reduce Poverty Among Children

Asked whether he planned to eliminate the limit, as noted by advocacy groups is the biggest driver of poverty for children in the UK, the Prime Minister responded: “I can tell you in no uncertain terms I am committed to lower poverty rates for kids.”

He outlined steps ministers have already introduced such as free school meals, morning meal programs, and child care support but added: “Further action is necessary, and I pledge and tell you I am personally committed to cutting childhood poverty.”

Pressed about if his comments indicated he intended to remove the two-child limit, he said he “wouldn’t be telling you we aim to lower child poverty unless I was certain that measures will be introduced a number of measures to achieve this”.

Strong Indications from the Chancellor

The Chancellor, gave an equally strong hint on Monday when she told BBC Radio 5 Live that finally, no child should suffer if their parents are struggling financially”.

Government officials are getting ready to scrap the restriction fully, after initially considering gradual removal for bigger households or wealthier families. The Resolution Foundation projects the expense would be roughly £3.5 billion by the end of the decade.

Political Divide and National Renewal

During the discussion, Starmer said the ideological split in the UK now existed between Labour’s “patriotic national renewal” and “the toxic division of Reform” and other right-wing groups who were “tearing our country apart”.

“Certain language being used – discriminatory talk, divisive rhetoric – which I believed was resolved long ago has reemerged in political debate and it makes people feel very scared,” he stated.

“We must confront such discrimination, that divisiveness, and affirm with pride that to be British means showing empathy, is about being fair, entails tolerance and kindness, which we value deeply.”

Reflecting Warnings from the Health Secretary

Starmer echoed language expressed by the Health Secretary, who warned recently that a disturbing form of discrimination reminiscent of past decades had become worryingly commonplace again and that healthcare workers were bearing the brunt of this trend.

Streeting said incidents of both verbal and physical attacks based on people’s skin colour now happened so often making it “socially acceptable to be racist”.

“It is time to put a stop on racism in this country and we’ve got to put that ugly racist sentiment that’s found expression in our country back in its box and reestablish a climate across Britain where it is not socially acceptable to hold racist views,” the Health Secretary stated.

Critical Decision for Voters

Starmer used his speech during a major political gathering in September to draw political battle lines between himself and Farage, saying that the public confronted a pivotal moment.

The prime minister explained he was engaged in a “fight for the soul of our country”, and argued that while voters had “reasonable” concerns regarding unauthorized immigration, there was “a moral line” that Farage and others had overstepped.

The PM pledged to confront those who argued that non-white individuals were not truly British and that households who had lived in Britain for years must be removed, stating people promoting such views constituted “against national unity”.

“Encouraging racial attacks and hatred, that goes beyond concern: it’s criminal. Our political movement values national symbols, yet if they are painted alongside graffiti, telling a Chinese takeaway owner to leave the country, that is not patriotism; that’s racism,” he informed activists.